Pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh leads in Punjab's Khadoor Sahib
Amritpal Singh, a radical preacher currently serving time in an Assam jail, is leading the Lok Sabha polls in Punjab's Khadoor Sahib. According to the Election Commission of India, the independent candidate is ahead by over 44,000 votes against the Congress's Kulbir Singh Zira. Singh, who heads Waris Punjab de, was charged under the National Security Act last year and is incarcerated in Dibrugarh prison.
Potential win raises concern
The ECI had accepted the nomination papers of the Waris Punjab De (WPD) chief, ending all apprehensions of his supporters that his papers may get rejected. The Shiromani Akali Dal, which had pledged support to Singh, also fielded its candidate "as a back-up in case Singh's candidature gets rejected." A win for him in an election to parliament could give Singh some legitimacy and spark concerns of a revival of a militancy that killed thousands in the 1970s and 1980s.
Singh arrested on April 23, 2023
To recall, Singh was arrested on April 23, 2023 from a gurudrawa in Rode, native village of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the 14th head of Damdami Taksal and militant separatist who was killed in Operation Blue Star. The Punjab Police launched a crackdown following the Ajnala incident on February 23, 2023. During that event, Singh and his friends, some of whom had swords and guns, broke through barriers and went into a police station outside of Amritsar city.
9 of Singh's associates lodged in Dibrugarh jail
They clashed with law enforcement officers in an effort to secure the release of Lovepreet Singh Toofan, one of their associates. Singh and his companions faced multiple criminal charges, including inciting disharmony among communities, attempted murder, assaults on police personnel, and obstructing the lawful duties of public servants. Nine of his associates are also lodged in Dibrugarh jail.
